Quote Originally Posted by Sir Terrence the Terrible
Have you heard the HPS-4000 system, or the Klipsch theatrical system?
Empirically, I can now answer "yes". Let me preface my comments by saying that I appreciate your industry video insight and have learned quite a bit regarding the nuances involved with the video standards and specifically, how the Blu-Ray committee operates. FWIW, my thoughts on video have never differed from that of yours. With audio, however, we seemingly live on different planets.

I wish to continue to voice my enthusiasm over the video miracle that is Avatar. In the past three weeks, I've seen it twice in Liemax (Mall of Georgia outside Atlanta, Jordan Crossing outside Salt Lake City) and just this weekend, in "mere" 3D at the Paradiso Cinema in Memphis. The larger Liemax screen definitely adds to the realism in that I find myself completely immersed in the picture. With the standard screen, I was aware that I was watching a rectangular projection with black space around it. In all cases, however, the sound was particularly good for theatres. I tried to discover exactly what the two recent IMAX theatrical screens were using, but couldn't find anything. I did, however, find a reference to exactly what I heard in Memphis found here.

The 10.2 system most certainly could be characterized as clean, exceptionally flat in response and thoroughly capable of providing the 93 db peaks (as measured at my seat) without a trace of any strain. There is no question that it is quite good at delivering subterranean response at very high levels. I cannot say that I have heard better quality at any theatre elsewhere. Even the *real* IMAX theatres I've attended in Atlanta, Huntsville, Cape Canaveral, Washington, Las Vegas, Dallas, Myrtle Beach, Nashville, Fort Worth, Chattanooga (and probably a couple other cities I can't remember at this time) didn't provide better sound quality than the new Klipsch system in Memphis.

Having said that, the musical performance was lackluster. I have the Avatar soundtrack and know it well. While one cannot entirely compare the full movie soundtrack to the musical score, there are sections in the movie that consist of music only. The movie begins with "You don't dream in cryo" and ends with Leona Lewis' theme. There is simply no comparison to what I heard with the Klipsch system and what I hear at home. There is no danger that one would ever confuse the theater system with live. Despite the twelve channels, the musical presentation is flat and lifeless. There are the front channels and there are the rear and side channels. Powerful and clean, yes - but the image sticks to the screen and never fools you into believing that there is an orchestra or Leona singing in front of you. With my main music system, however, there is a natural ease and transparency that far transcends the theatre experience. You not only hear Leona singing, but you hear her breath and the full emotion of the piece comes through. The image floats in front of you in a way that QSC class H amps and massive horn speakers can never convey. Harry Pearson's system can make all the walls in the room completely disappear (not only the with MC system, but the separate and higher resolution two channel as well) - while the image of theatres sticks strictly within the room.

Theatre systems have come quite a way and provide a wonderful audio experience when viewing movies. They cannot, however, fool you to thinking that the performers are in your very room performing in the way that the highest resolution audio systems are capable of doing. Truly I say this not to bash or slam you or the industry - my earnest wish is that as a recording professional that you take a fresh look at what is truly possible with audio reproduction. I am confident that in time, such will be the case.

rw